Teen killed in hit-and-run is third this year | News

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UPDATE, 11/18/13: The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office has released the 911 call from the hit-and-run incident which ultimately took the life of 15-year-old Haley Smith.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Police are still trying to track down the vehicle and driver who killed a 15-year-old girl in St. Johns County. Haley Smith's family is mourning her loss and now SJC schools are mourning the loss of yet another student this year.

Police say Haley Smith was walking with a male friend and his father Saturday night around 8:30 p.m. They were reported to be walking along Kenton Morrison Road when a gold colored small pick up truck hit Smith.

"I wish nobody would do this again because it hurts," said Bill Manning, who says he helped raise Smith the last nine years.

Manning and Smith's mother say they want answers.

"I hope you do the right thing and come back and talk to somebody, it might not be this hard, all we need is a little bit of closure here," said Manning.

Now this hit and run echoes concerns raised by bicycle advocates after six bicycle crashes occurred in a week this month; one of those was a hit and run just about a mile from where Smith was hit. Randy Miller was hit and killed while biking on State Road 16 just a week ago and the driver in the case has not been identified.

"People are just not taking responsibility driving," said Heather Neville earlier in the week when speaking about the recent bicycle incidents. Neville is a bike advocate and director of a cycling group called VeloFest in St. Augustine.

Haley's death adds another tragic loss for St. Johns County High Schools. This year police said 19-year-old Ryan Ford was killed in a Bonfire Fight in January and in the same week 18-year-old Jared Revels was killed in a tractor accident; both were seniors at Pedro Menendez High School. Haley was a sophomore at St. Augustine High School and a dancer for the Dazzler's Dance Team. Her family says she was full of life and loved people.

"She had a lot of friends and she would do anything for her friends and her family, so I hope people will do what they can to bring justice to her, for her," said Jo-Lee Manning, Smith's mother.

If anyone has any information on this hit and run you're asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 904- 209-1498. First for you, for safety, when you are walking near a road you should be walking against traffic or facing traffic so that you can see oncoming traffic.